Milan: Forward to the Past

Whether Milan Fashion Week actually had anything new to offer is the subject of spirited discussion now that the fashionistas have moved on to Paris. But what is fashion really? Constant reinvention and skilful presentation? Or is it about developing what already exists, quoting and cunningly combining the historical with the contemporary? There was a wide range of answers to those questions in Milan.

Dsquared2: The two-headed eagle is back. In this age of democratic crises, the designer duo Dean and Dan Caten has found their own fashionable answer. Embroidered two-headed eagles, heraldic animals, puffed sleeves, ruffles, ruches, large pieces of jewellery, long rows of buttons and other monarchic fashion regalia have found their way into the opulent collection.

Arthur Arbesser: Can the presentation of the Viennese designer’s collection in the former Habsburg stables in today’s Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci be interpreted as being closely connected to his background? Maybe. His collaboration with the Linz-based eyewear manufacturer Silhouette and the Tyrolean company Swarovski, on the other hand, definitely can. This very straightforward collection was certainly a much-noticed head-turner.

Dolce & Gabbana: Italy with a tropical touch, hip hop-tarantella-fusion dance interludes featuring Neapolitan street dancers and coconut drinks: Tropico Italiano for short, according to the title of the trippy show for the #DGfamily. It was full of excessive floral prints, diamanté, embroidery and sequins for your beach holiday, and it was followed by an open-air dinner served in Via Montenapoleone. Nothing but a feast for the senses, an escape from the traditional business of fashion week – but without breaking any rules: the catwalk itself was very traditional.

Fendi: Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi stayed true to the fairy-tale theme of their brilliant haute couture show at Rome’s Fontana di Trevi in July. The only change was that on this occasion they mixed baroque with modern materials and techniques: instead of ruches there were cut-outs, perforations and floral appliqué, combined with fairylike smocks, aprons, oversized jacket pockets and dainty sock boots. Without a doubt, it was one of the best collections of this fashion week.

Etro: Veronica Etro’s collections are just as consistently exceptional. She isn’t one to pander to the coolness of the zeitgeist. Instead, she prefers to find her own approach to the label’s heritage and to her customer’s aspirations. In relentlessly new ways, she runs through the brand’s patterns and lines, tirelessly creating pieces from the ethnological treasures of far-flung parts of the world. This time she was inspired by the Middle East and North Africa to design kaftans, capes and pompoms.